Rutledge said the Scientific-Atlanta Inc. HDTV set-top he's purchasing only costs $20 more than a typical digital set-top, which, he added, is now below $200.

In other HD news, In Demand HD said it has signed a deal with K2 Communications for 20 70-millimeter films originally presented in IMAX Theaters. In Demand will transfer the content to 1080i (interlaced) wide-screen HD.

The first two films, Ocean Oasis and Ring of Fire, are scheduled for January. Other titles include Adventures in Wild California, Tropical Rainforest, Ultimate G's, Beavers, Dolphins, Super Speedway, Africa:The Serengeti, The Living Sea, Discovers, To the Limit, Journey Into Amazing Caves, Magic of Flight, Speed, Amazon, Stormchasers, Antarctica, Alaska: Spirit of the Wild, Australia: Land Beyond Time and Chronos.